I've come to the conclusion that my PSAT practice tests given to me by my teacher are completely wacked out and contain ridiculous answers.
Observe.
Select the choice which best replaces the underlined phrase in terms of effectiveness and correctness.
"By the sixteenth century, the old geocrentric order had been shattered by Copernicus, the moral order undermined by Montaigne, and Machiavelli destroyed the political order."
(a) Machiavelli destroyed the political order.
(b) Machiavelli had destroyed the political order.
(c) the political order had been destroyed by Machiavelli
(d) the political order destroyed by Machiavelli
(e) the political order was destroyed by Machiavelli.
I chose D because it matched the structure of the other clauses in the sentence. The answer sheet claims the answer is B. I don't believe B is the right answer. Help me out.
Here's another:
"Edgar Allen poe was a virtuoso at plot construction, he refined the short story form to near perfection."
(a) Edgar Allen poe was a virtuoso at plot construction, he refined the short story form to near perfection.
(b) A virtuoso at plot construction, Edgar Allen Poe refined the short-story form to near perfection.
(c) The one who refined the form of the short story to near perfection was a virtuoso at plot construction, Edgar Allen Poe.
(d) The nearly perfect short-story form was refined by Edgar Allen Poe, and he was a virtuoso at plot construction.
(e) Being the virtuoso at plot construction, the short-story form was refined to near perfection by Edghar Allen Poe.
I selected B. The answer sheet says it's A. I find that hard to believe as the comma does not satisfy a job that a semicolon would be needed to do. Help me out.
Yet another:
"Determined to locate the famous statue, the museum's confusing map was scrutinized by Howard and Christine."
(a) the museum's confusing map was scrutinized by Howard and Christine.
(b) Howard and Christine scrutinized the museum's confusing map.
(c) Howard and Christine were confused, and the mueum's map was scrutinized by them.
(d) the museum's map, which was confusing, was scrutinized by Howard and Christine.
(e) confused, Howard and Christine scrutinizing the museum's map.
I selected B as my answer. The answer sheet claims it's A. I find that hard to believe since it was not the the confusing map which was determined to the find the statue.
And these are just a few of these damn things. So am I right or wrong?
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